Paper feed mechanism



Filed Jan. 16, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l AT'TORNEY Oct. 15, 1940. E. 1. HARMON PAPER FEED MECHANISM Filed Jan. 16, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEIYTOR l'iinmzjflfl more I I. I ninnuilhlxyin? R1 ATTORNEY 4 Patented Oct. 15, 1940 PATEN T OFFICE PAPER FEED MECHANISM Edwin L. Harmon, Groton, N.

Y., assignor to L. C.

Smith & Corona Typewriters, Inc., Syracuse, N. Y.,acorporatlon otNew York Application January 16, 1939, Serial No. 251,188

12 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in paper feed mechanisms, and more particularly to paper feed mechanisms for typewriting and analogous machines.

The principal purposes of the inventionare to provide a simple, inexpensive and eflicient paper feed mechanism, and to provide a, paper feed mechanism consisting of a minimum number of parts, all of inexpensive construction, and the parts of which are capable of assembly without the employment of threaded holes and screws. Other purposes and advantages will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view on the line I-I of Fig. 3 showing the paper feed mechanism as applied to the platen carriage of a three- 20 quarter strike or semi-front strike typewriting machine, the feed rolls being shown in on or working position;

. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3 showing the feed rolls cast off;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view illustrating the feed mechanism with the parts positioned as in Fig. 1, part of the platen and part of the paper table being broken away;

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

The improvements are illustrated in connection with the platen carriage of a portable typewriting machine of the three-quarter strike variety in which the types strike at a printing point at the upper front part of the platen. The carriage comprises a sheet metal base plate III which is formed with raceways I I and has rigidly aflixed thereto a pair of sheet metal end plates I2. The usual roller platen I3 is journalled in the usual manner in the end plates I2 for rotation about a hired axis and is provided with the usual pair of finger wheels I.

A transversely curved paper supporting and guiding table I5 formed'of sheet metal, extends from its introductory end at the rear of the platen downward and forward under the platen and then upward in front of the platen to its delivery end in front of the platen. The paper table I5 is located between the end plates I2 of the carriage, and extends between the platen and the base plate III of the carriage intermediate the introductory and delivery ends of the table. Formed; integrally with, and extending downward and rearward from, table I5 approximately beneath the rearmost point of the platen are a pair of sheet metal pivotlugs l6. These 5 lugs are located adjacent opposite ends of the paper table and extend edgewise of the lugs longitudinally of the table with the lugs registered edgewise longitudinally of the table. These lugs are rockably and separably seated in the forked 10 upper ends of a pair of sheet metal lugs II formed integrally with base plate I0 of the platen carriage. Lugs I I extend upward and forward from the inclined base plate of the carriage toward the paper table and platen, the in- 15 clined base plate facing the rear lower quadrant of the platen. ,Lugs II are disposed edgewise thereof transversely of the base plate and platen and in planes at right angles to those of lugs I6 on the paper table I5, and have their 20 upper ends forked or provided with notches ll of general V-shape providing open bearings in which lugs I6 are seated and supported to rock transversely of the carriage and platen. One of the pivot lugs I6 on the paper table is provided 25 with a pair 01' pendent extensions I6 straddling the companion lug II on the carriage base plate to hold the table against movement longitudinally of the carriage and platen.

Beneath the platen the paper table is provided 30 with two parallel slots or oblong openings I8 extending longitudinally of the platen and affording clearance for a feed roll carrier and a pair of feed rolls carried by the carrier, said slots located medially with respect to the end edges of the 35 table. Slots I 8 are separated by a narrow barlike part I9 of the table, part I9 being preferably pressed or offset downward slightly from end to end thereof relatively to the portion of the table with which its ends merge, as shown.

A sheet metal feed roll carrier consisting of a single sheet metal stamping 20 and a metal supporting pin or stud 2| is removably seated and mounted on'bar portion I9 for limited universal swiveling of the carrier relatively to the table. 5 Pin or stud 2| is rigidly aflixed at the upperend of the pin to the carrier centrally of the carrier and depends from the under face of the carrier. Bar portion I9 of table I5 is provided with a centrally located bearing aperture 22' for pin 2|, 50 said aperture being of somewhat larger diameter than the pin to permit the pin to tilt universally laterally in the aperture to a limited extent as well as to rotate in the aperture. Adjacent its upper end and at the lower face of the carrier which is seated rotatably and tiltably on the upper face of the bar-like part II of table II and is tapered downward to the shank of the pin which passes through aperture I2. Portion I! of the table is stlflened by integral pendent and parallel longitudinal edge flanges Ii, and the carrier is provided with a pair of parallel and dependent longitudinal stiil'enlng flanges II somewhat more widely spaced than flanges ll and overlapping the latter to limitrotatlon of the carrier relatively to the table.

Carrier III is formed at each end thereof with a pair of oppositely extending arms 24 bent or rolled to form semi-cylindrical open shaft bear lugs 24- the open sides of which face upwardly. A pair of parallel paper feed rolls having metal shafts 25 covered by rubber sleeves ll and having reduced end portions 25 are mounted on the carrier by dropping the reduced end portions of the shafts into the open shaft bearings 24 and bending over the end portions of the shafts bendable extensions 24 of the rolled semi-cylindrical bearing portions 24 of the arms 24.

A rock shaft 11, formed from a narrow bar of sheet metal, extends longitudinally of the platen and carriage between the carriage base plate and the paper table and between the rear or introductory end of the table and the axis about which the table is tiltable or rockable. Rock shaft 21 is formed at its ends with reduced end portions or pintles 28, one of which is Journalled in a closed bearing hole 29 formed in the right hand one of the carriage end plates If. The other pintle 28 is Journalled in an open bearing Ill formed (as hereinafter described) in an upstanding lug 3| bent up from the carriage base plate ll. Lug II is disposed edgewise thereof transversely of the carriage and is located between the left hand end and the mid-length point of the carriage. The shaft bearing lug Si is formed with the bearing slot 30 which is closed at its upper end and open at its lower end.

At the mid-length point of the carriage and table, shaft 21 is bent to form the same with a substantially V-shaped crank or crank portion 32. At the mid-length point of the carriage, the carriage base plate is formed with a clearance aperture 33 for shaft crank 32, said aperture being formed with a forwardly facing stop edge or shoulder 34 engageable by one side arm of crank 32 to limit rearward swinging of the crank.

Adjacent its right hand end and just inside of the right hand end plate of the carriage, shaft 21 is provided with a rock arm or finger piece 35 formed integrally with the shaft, and said finger piece or manually operable rock arm is movable rearwardly against a stop lug l6, bent inward from said right hand end plate of the carriage, to limit rocking of shaft 21 in cast-off direction. The engagement of crank 32 of shaft 21 with stop edge 34 of aperture 33 in carriage base plate I ll limits rocking of shaft 21 in the opposite direction to apply the feed rolls. The shaft 21 is assembledin its bearings with arm 35 between lug 36 and the platen and with crank 32 in pendent position for swinging movement of the crank into and out of aperture 33. v

A coil spring 31 of the tension pull type is connected at its opposite ends with the paper table and the outer end of crank 32. The paper table is formed midway its sides adjacent its rear or introductory end and at its under face with an eye 38 pressed therefrom. The outer end or apex of the V-shaped crank 32 is located midway the sides of the table and is provided with a perforation II. The upper end ofspringfl ishookedintableeye II and the lower end of spring 81 is hooked in crank perforation It, as shown. The length of spring 31 is such that it is under tension in all positions of table II. The stops 8 and SI which positively limit the extent of rocking movement of shaft 11 are so located that, when crank 32 is engaged with stop 34 the spring 81 extends from .the table to the crank in rear of the axis of the shaft (as shown in Fig. 1) to thereby yieldingly hold the feed rolls in "on position, and when the finger piece 3! is engaged with stop II the spring 31 extends from the table to the crank in front of the axis of the shaft (as shown in Pig. 2) to thereby hold the feed rolls in "o position.

Upon shifting of the rock shaft from the position of Fig. 1 to that of Fig. 2. the line of pull of thespring on the table is so shifted that the pull of the spring r cks the table from the position of Fig. 1 to that of Fig. 2 and yieldingly holds the table in its position of Fig. 2 since the axial line A- -A of the spring in Fig. 2 passes through the table axis and forward of the rock shaft axis. Upon manual shifting of the rock shaft back to the position of Fig. 1 the pull of the spring rocks the table to the position of Fig. i to apply the feed rolls and yieldingly maintain them applied. In rocking between the positions of Figs. 1 and 2 the crank I2 carries the axial line of the spring at the lower end of the spring across the line 3-3 which passes through both the table axis and the axis of the rock shaft, and also carries the axial line of the spring across the axial line of the shaft.

Spring 31, therefore, actually tilts the table from one position to the other and also yieldingly holds or maintains the table in the tilted position of the table selected by manual rocking of the shaft in one direction or the other and yieldingly maintains the shaft in manually rocked position. It will also be observed that the constantly tensioned spring at all times exerts pulls on the shaft 21' and table II to maintain the parts in assembled working relation, and that the paper table It, spring 31, shaft 21 with its crank andflnger piece, the feed roll carrier 2| and the feed rolls are all assembled without the aid of screws or other extraneous fastening devices. The length of pin 2| is such that accidental disconnection thereof from aperture 22 in table I! is prevented in the cast-oil. position of the table and feed rolls while the platen is assembled in the carriage.

What I claim is:

1. Paper feed mechanism for typewriting and analogous machines comprising a platen carriage, a roller platen journalled on and extending longitudinally of the carriage, a support extending under the platen and fulcrumed on the carriage to oscillate about an axis parallel to the platen axis, tandem feed rolls extending longitudinally of the platen and carried by the support at one side of the axis about which the support oscillates for movement of the rolls into and out of paper feeding relation with the platen by oscillation of the support, a manually rockable rock shaft journalled on the carriage and extending longitudinally of the platen at the opposite side of said axis of oscillation of the support and at the opposite face of the support from that at which the platen is located, said shaft having a crank extending therefrom to rock therewith, means for limiting rocking movement of said shaft in both directions about its axis, and a tension pull spring connected at opposite ends of the spring to said support and to said crank .to extend beu min the mpportand at Ioi"th'eshaitaxisin positions of said shaft-sald'lprlng belng 'way about said platen and mounted on said supporttotiltabouta-flxed axis-which. is parallel to the platen axis, a rock shaftjournalled on the I support for oscillation about a fixed g is parallel to said two previously mentioned axes,

said table extending between said shaft and platen, said shafthaving a crank, a pull' spring connected to said -table and-to saidcrank to be carried across the axis of the'shaft by .oscillation of the shaft to tilt the table in Opposite directions and yieldingly hold'ittilted, and

manually operable means connected withthe shaft for oscillating'the shaft. v -3. Paper feed mechanism for'typewriting' and analogous machines, as claimedin claim 2, in the platen support ls'provided-with a set of open bearings, and the table is provided with a set of pivot elements held seated in said open bearings by the pull exerted onthe table by said pull spring.

4. Paper feed mechanism for typewriting and analogous machines, as claimed in claim 2, where in the platen support is provided with one closed and one open bearing for said rock shaft, saidv shaft is provided with pintles engaged in said bearings, and the shaft pintle engaged in the open bearing is held therein by pull exerted on said shaft by said pull spring.

5. Paper feed mechanism for typewriting and analogous machines comprising a platen support, a roller platen journalled on said support to rotate about a fixed horizontal axis, a paper table mounted on said support to tilt about an axis parallel to the platen axis and extending under the platen to one side of the axis about which the table is tiltable, a feed roll carrier mounted on said table under the platen to rotate about an upstanding universally tiltable axis, a pair of parallel feed rolls journalled on said carrier and extending longitudinally of the platen, and manually operable means for tilting said table to apply said feed rolls to and castthem oil? from the platen.

6. Paper feed mechanism for typewriting and analogous machines comprising a platen support, a roller platen journalled on said support to rotate about a fixed horizontal axis, a paper table mounted on said support to tilt about an axis parallel to the platen axis and extending under the platen to one side of the axis about which the table is tiltable, a feed roll carrier mounted on said table under the platen to rotate about an upstanding universally tiltable axis, a

pair of parallel feed rolls journalled on said carrier and extending longitudinally of the platen, and manually operable means for tilting said table to apply said feed rolls to and cast them oil. from the platen, said table and carrier having means engageable to limit rotation of the carrier about said upstanding axis.

7. Paper feed mechanism for typewriting and analogous machines comprising a platen support, a roller platen journalled on said support to rotate about a fixed axis, a paper guiding table mounted on said support to tilt about an axis sideotthe'axiso V o platenby tilting oili etable, a

' manually rockable cranishai't journalled on'said support for rocking of'said shaftab'out axis parallel to the platen axis and; the about which'the paper table is tiltable, means To 9081-.

tively extent of rockingmovement of said shaft, and a tension pull spring conto the cranh-portionfof shaft'ito'tilt the Itable .to apply; and castjofl the feed rolls upon rockingof said; t-to diiferentones of its limits of movement. a

8. Paper feed mechanism for typewriting an 'analogousmachines comprising a platen support,

a platen journalled on said'sup'port for rotation about a fixed-axis, a paper table mounted'on said support to extend part wayabout said platen, a

feed roll carrier mounted on the paper table for limited rotation about an axis extending. transversely of'the platen and for limited universal tilting of the .carrier relatively tosaid last-mentioned axis, and a pair of parallel feed rolls journailed on the carrier to extend substantially longitudinally of the platen for feeding of paper between the platen and'said rolls.

9. Paper feed mechanism for typewrlting and analogous machines comprising a platen support,

a roller platen journalled on said support to rotate about a fixed horizontal axis, a paper table mounted on said support to tilt about an axis parallel to the platen axis and extending under the platen to one side of the axis about which the table is tiltable, a feed roll carrier mounted on said table under the platen to rotate about an upstanding universally tiltable axis, a pair of parallel feed rolls journalled on said carrier and.

extending longitudinally of the platen, and manually operable means for tilting said table to apply said feed rolls to and cast them off from the longitudinally of the platen, said rock shaft having reduced pintle end portions and formed betweenits ends with a crank portion, said support being provided with aclosed bearing and an open bearing for the respective'pintle end portions of said rock shaft, a paper guiding table extending between the platen and both said support and rock shaft and carrying paper feed rolls adapted to engage the platen, said support being provided intermediate said shaft and the delivery end of the table with open bearings and said table being provided intermediate said shaft'and the delivery end of the table with pivot elements engaged in said open hearings to support the table to tilt about a fixed axis extending longitudinally of the platen, and a tension pull spring connecting the introductory end of the table and the crank portion of the rock shaft to tilt the table to cast the rolls respectively on and off upon rocking of the shaft in opposite directions and to constantly hold said shaft in its bearings and also hold the pivot elements of the table engaged in the open rocking the shaft.

11. Paper feed mechanism for typewriting and analogous machines comprising a platen support, a

a roller platen journalled-on said support to rotate about a flxed horizontal axis, a paper table mounted on said support to tilt about an axis parallel to the platen axis and extending under the platen to one side of the axis about which the table is tiltable, a paper feed roll carrier having rigidly ilxed thereto and pendent therefrom centrally thereof a pivot pin extendingv downward from the carrier through an aperture in said table and of suillciently smaller diameter than said aperture to permit limited tilting of said pivot pin in said aperture, said pin having a downwardly tapering collar seated on the table, a pair of parallel feed rolls Journalled on the carrier and extending longitudinally of the platen to engage the platen forwardof the axis about which the table tilts, said table having clearance openings for said feed rolls and carrier, said table and feed roll carrier being provided with means limiting rotation of the carrier relatively to the table, and said platen being engageable by the rolls to block accidental withdrawal of said pin said aperture in all tilted positions of the :12. Paper feed mechanism for typewriting and analogous machines comprising a platen support, a roller platen Journaled on said support, a paper support extending under the platen and fulcrumed on the platen support to omllate about an axis parallel to the platen axis, feed rolls carried by the support at one side of the axis about which the support oscillates for movement of the rolls into and out of paper feeding relation with the platen, a manually oscillatable control member to move the paper support and thereby shift the feed rolls into and out of 'paper feeding relation to the platen and iournalled on the platen support at the opposite side of said axis of oscillation of the paper support, and a tension pull spring connected at opposite ends of the spring to said paper support and to said control member to extend between the said support and the control member at different sides of the journal of said control member in diilerent manually oscillated positions of said member.

EDWIN L. HARMON. 

